ESPN Tournament Challenge (NCAA Hoops Pick Em)

[Sonny]

Sonny,

You are a homer through and through. You have GT over Kansas in the finals . I was going to take BYU all the way, but then I remembered that a team probably has to win at least 10 games to get into the NCAA. Well there is always the NIT. Oh yea we didn't make that either.

Absolutely.

Since I can't win the contest, I will be an ACC/GT homer.

[AlumniLax]

what you all need to realize is that most tech fans have a superiority complex that will stay with them to the grave. they most resemble duke fans and what you have seen through those picks is a perfect example of homerism. hey sonny, has reggie ball learned to count to 4 yet? sonny must have been to busy this season to watch his flash-in-a-pan tech team fall asleep at the wheel one to many times this year.

[AlumniLax]

goes to show that you can't count on the 'Tide for anything...

[Sonny]

Called UW-Milwaukee over Bama.
Missed on Pittsburgh (over Pacific).

[Sonny]

Looks like you can watch the games online, courtesy of CSTV:
http://cstv.feedroom.com/

[Sonny]

After day one - StrykerFSU is in the lead. He had 15 (out of 16) games right. Only miss was LSU/UAB game. Not bad.

[Brandon Carlson]

Thank you Vermont...funny thing is I actually found myself rooting for them at the end. I'm a sucker for the underdogs, though now one of my final four teams is gone.

[DanGenck]

You and your stupid underdogs... especially when you hate the teams!

"Come'on Maryland! Oh wait... I HATE THE TERPS!"

[Brandon Carlson]

Hey Dan,
That last post was kind of late...isn't that past your bed time?

[shrekjr]

Does anyone else think the standings are not current as of Saturday morning? I think they are a couple of games short.

[Brent Burns]

Thank you Vermont...funny thing is I actually found myself rooting for them at the end. I'm a sucker for the underdogs, though now one of my final four teams is gone.

That has to be one of the biggest upsets in the 2005 NCAA basketball tourney, but Syracuse lost because I read that they committed 24 turnovers including Hakim's 10 turnovers. Jim Boeheim got his 700th win late in the season and his Orange team just won the Big East championship. They are the first Big East team to leave the scene quickly. Congratulations to the Catamounts and the retiring and "Happy" coach.

[Dan Wishengrad]

If it's possible to be more conflicted about a game than I am over my alma mater (Pacific) vs my current team (Washington) I hope it happens to somebody else.

UOP is desperate for respect and is a dangerous team, with five talented starters and a solid, productive bench. They're not going to win the NCAA, but a trip to the elite eight looks possible and the Huskies stand in the way. Look for the Tigers to try to slow the tempo and force the Huskies into becoming a half-court team of jump-shooters. If they accomplish this the upset is not far-fetched.

Washington, on the other hand, is just a special team, with no size or inside post presence but wave after wave of lightning fast slashers. The attention is focused on Nate Robinson and Tre Simmons for obvious reasons, but watch Will Conroy and Brandon Roy -- the true unsung heroes -- for clues to whether the Huskies deserve a #1 seed and can advance to St. Louis.

My prediction: Washington 71... Pacific 70 OVERTIME

[bbandlax]

Called UW-Milwaukee over Bama.
Missed on Pittsburgh (over Pacific).

Sure you picked Milwaukee one time, bud did you pick them a second?

I have them in the round of 16, of course loosing Syracuse from my final four cancels it out

[Brandon Carlson]

NC State has kept my heart beating, though that wake forest game took a lot more out of me than I'm willing to admit.

[StrykerFSU]

We drop superlatives these days with such frequency that they seem to have lost their meaning but if we're talking the biggest upset of the tourney, it has to be Bucknell over Kansas. Bucknell wasn't even picked to win their conference tourney but managed to beat Holy Cross in Worcester to earn the bid. While I have absolutely no love for Bucknell, it was nice to see the Patriot League get its first win. Vermont not only was expected to make the tournament, but some crazy prognosticators even had them penciled in to win against the 'Cuse.